"A unique, bottom-up look at what our fathers did."—Tom Clancy
E.J. Jernigan's memoir offers readers a fascinating glimpse of life as an enlisted man aboard the USS Saufley, one of the most highly decorated destroyers of World War II. It is a rarely told story of the sailors who fought the war from boiler rooms, after-steering spaces, radio shacks, and other gritty places that keep a warship going. For the author, it was a world of strong emotions and quick reactions, where men had to adapt and grow if they were to survive.
With its colorful view of what went on below decks, the book has made a lasting contribution to World War II literature since first published in 1993. It appeals to veterans, historians, and naval enthusiasts alike looking for an honest account of what happened.
E. J. Jernigan joined the Navy in 1940 at seventeen, served in a battleship in the Atlantic, and was reassigned to the USS Saufley in the Pacific in August 1942. After the war he settled in Chester, VA, raised a family, and wrote two more books.
